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Starting seeds indoors gives your plants a head start on the growing season. Summer vegetables, like tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), may only have enough time to produce a full crop if they are started indoors. Indoor-grown seedlings are protected from disease and pests when they are at their most vulnerable. Most vegetables grow well from indoor-started transplants. The seed packet often details whether the plant is suitable and the best time to sow inside.

Successful Sowing

Large plants, such as tomatoes, are best planted in individual 2- to 3-inch-wide seedling pots because they may take six weeks or longer to reach the transplant stage. You can plant small seedlings that can be transplanted after just a few weeks, like lettuce (Lactuca sativa), in a growing flat that holds multiple seedlings. Use pots and flats with bottom drainage holes and fill them with a sterile, well-draining potting mix. Sow two seeds per pot or space seeds 2 inches apart in all directions in a flat. Sowing depth varies and is detailed on the seed packet, but most vegetable seeds are planted at a depth equal to twice their width.

Germination Guidelines

Seeds require moisture and warmth to germinate, with most vegetables sprouting within seven days. Water the soil until it's evenly moistened throughout after planting. Covering the top of the pots or flats with a clear plastic bag or plastic wrap maintains the moisture in the soil until germination. Keep the pots in a warm 70 to 75 degree Fahrenheit location. Vegetables don't require light to germinate. Remove the plastic when the first shoots poke through the soil.

Cultural Care

Provide the seedlings with six to eight hours of bright, direct sunlight as soon as they emerge. If you don't have a sunny location indoors, set the pots beneath a fluorescent light for 16 hours a day. The top of the seedlings should sit about 6 inches beneath the light fixture. Water seedlings when the soil surface feels dry, and empty the drip tray beneath the pots afterward so the pots aren't sitting in standing water. Keeping the foliage dry minimizes disease. Begin fertilizing the seedlings when they are two weeks old with a 24-8-16 soluble fertilizer. Dilute 1/2 teaspoon of the fertilizer in 1 gallon of water or use half the recommended amount on the package. Water the seedlings with the solution.

Timely Transplanting

Transplanting time depends on the vegetable varieties. Transplant summer vegetables, like tomatoes and peppers (Capsicum annuum), after the soil temperature reaches 60 F and frost danger passes. Cool-weather vegetables, like broccoli (Brassica oleracea), tolerate colder temperatures and can go outdoors when the soil temperature is above 50 F. Set the seedlings outside in a protected area one week before transplanting so they can adjust to the outdoors, bringing them in during severe weather or frost. When transplanting, plant the seedlings at the same depth they were growing in their pots, with the exception of tomatoes, which you can plant 2 or 3 inches deeper.

About the Author

Jenny Harrington has been a freelance writer since 2006. Her published articles have appeared in various print and online publications. Previously, she owned her own business, selling handmade items online, wholesale and at crafts fairs. Harrington's specialties include small business information, crafting, decorating and gardening.